72nd parallel north

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72°
72nd parallel north

The 72nd parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 72 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane, in the Arctic. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Asia, the Arctic Ocean and North America.

At this latitude, the sun is visible for 24 hours, 0 minutes during the summer solstice and Civil Twilight during the winter solstice. This is the parallel where twilight/nighttime boundary on the equinoxes.

This is also the highest parallel that golden hour occurs even at midnight sun, because the Sun is less than 6°00'00" above the horizon. Midnight Sun without golden hour occurs at latitudes greater than 72°33'38.58804", i.e., about 666.8 km (414.3 mi) north of the Arctic Circle in the case of the June Solstice.

Around the world

Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 72° north passes through:

CoordinatesCountry, territory or seaNotes
72°0′N0°0′E / 72.000°N 0.000°E / 72.000; 0.000 (Prime Meridian) Atlantic Ocean Norwegian Sea
72°0′N23°53′E / 72.000°N 23.883°E / 72.000; 23.883 (Barents Sea) Barents Sea
72°0′N51°31′E / 72.000°N 51.517°E / 72.000; 51.517 (Russia) Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Novaya Zemlya - Yuzhny Island
72°0′N55°22′E / 72.000°N 55.367°E / 72.000; 55.367 (Kara Sea) Kara Sea
72°0′N68°36′E / 72.000°N 68.600°E / 72.000; 68.600 (Russia) Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Yamal Peninsula
72°0′N72°31′E / 72.000°N 72.517°E / 72.000; 72.517 (Gulf of Ob) Gulf of Ob
72°0′N74°34′E / 72.000°N 74.567°E / 72.000; 74.567 (Russia) Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Gydan Peninsula - passing through Khalmyer Bay and Yuratski Bay
72°0′N75°42′E / 72.000°N 75.700°E / 72.000; 75.700 (Russia) Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Khalmyer Bay - Surrounded by Gydan Peninsula
72°0′N80°50′E / 72.000°N 80.833°E / 72.000; 80.833 (Yenisei Gulf) Yenisei Gulf
72°0′N82°32′E / 72.000°N 82.533°E / 72.000; 82.533 (Russia) Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
72°0′N129°8′E / 72.000°N 129.133°E / 72.000; 129.133 (Laptev Sea) Laptev Sea
72°0′N139°45′E / 72.000°N 139.750°E / 72.000; 139.750 (Russia) Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
72°0′N149°57′E / 72.000°N 149.950°E / 72.000; 149.950 (East Siberian Sea) East Siberian Sea
72°0′N178°1′E / 72.000°N 178.017°E / 72.000; 178.017 (Arctic Ocean) Arctic Ocean
72°0′N152°16′W / 72.000°N 152.267°W / 72.000; -152.267 (Beaufort Sea) Beaufort Sea
72°0′N125°45′W / 72.000°N 125.750°W / 72.000; -125.750 (Canada) Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Northwest Territories - Banks Island
72°0′N120°20′W / 72.000°N 120.333°W / 72.000; -120.333 (Prince of Wales Strait) Prince of Wales Strait
72°0′N118°53′W / 72.000°N 118.883°W / 72.000; -118.883 (Canada) Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Northwest Territories - Victoria Island
Nunavut - Victoria Island
72°0′N108°23′W / 72.000°N 108.383°W / 72.000; -108.383 (Hadley Bay) Hadley Bay
72°0′N107°31′W / 72.000°N 107.517°W / 72.000; -107.517 (Canada) Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Nunavut - Victoria Island
72°0′N104°49′W / 72.000°N 104.817°W / 72.000; -104.817 (M'Clintock Channel) M'Clintock Channel
72°0′N100°18′W / 72.000°N 100.300°W / 72.000; -100.300 (Canada) Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Nunavut - Prince of Wales Island
72°0′N96°27′W / 72.000°N 96.450°W / 72.000; -96.450 (Peel Sound) Peel Sound
72°0′N95°12′W / 72.000°N 95.200°W / 72.000; -95.200 (Canada) Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Nunavut - Somerset Island
72°0′N94°49′W / 72.000°N 94.817°W / 72.000; -94.817 (Bellot Strait) Bellot Strait
72°0′N94°39′W / 72.000°N 94.650°W / 72.000; -94.650 (Canada) Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Nunavut - Murchison Promontory
72°0′N94°2′W / 72.000°N 94.033°W / 72.000; -94.033 (Prince Regent Inlet) Prince Regent Inlet
72°0′N89°58′W / 72.000°N 89.967°W / 72.000; -89.967 (Canada) Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Nunavut - Baffin Island
72°0′N86°21′W / 72.000°N 86.350°W / 72.000; -86.350 (Admiralty Inlet) Admiralty Inlet
72°0′N86°0′W / 72.000°N 86.000°W / 72.000; -86.000 (Canada) Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Nunavut - Baffin Island
72°0′N74°8′W / 72.000°N 74.133°W / 72.000; -74.133 (Baffin Bay) Baffin Bay
72°0′N54°0′W / 72.000°N 54.000°W / 72.000; -54.000 (Greenland) Flag of Greenland.svg  Greenland Nunavik Peninsula
72°0′N25°0′W / 72.000°N 25.000°W / 72.000; -25.000 (Greenland) Flag of Greenland.svg  Greenland Stauning Alps
72°0′N22°56′W / 72.000°N 22.933°W / 72.000; -22.933 (Atlantic Ocean) Atlantic Ocean Greenland Sea
Norwegian Sea

See also